For Everything a Reason
by xoDiamondsInTheSkyxo
Summary: Gale Hawthorne lived a happy with his wife and two children in district 2, until the 20th anniversary of the fall off the Capitol came around. Aspen Hawthorne, Holden Odair, and Paisley Mason are going back to district 12 where they meet Tate Mellark.
1. Prologue

For Everything a Reason: Prologue

My name is Aspen Hawthorne and I'm 17 years old. I have brother named Declan who is 15. My dad, Gale Hawthorne, helped end the war against the Capitol, whether or not he was to blame for killing innocent children is still to this day undetermined. But I try not to worry about things that aren't under my control.

My life used to be easy. I lived in a fancy house in District two. I spent every day with my best friend Holden Odair. We're so close he's more like a brother than best friend. Annie lived next door so naturally Holden and I grew up together.

Paisley Mason, Johanna's daughter, completed our trio. We became friends around the age of 8. Paisley wasn't exactly the adventurous type but Holden and I couldn't seem to stay out of trouble. We were risk takers to say the least. We acted first and asked questions later.

For 17 years this simple carefree lifestyle went on undisturbed. This year would be different though. It's the 25 anniversary of the fall of the Capitol and we're going back to District 12. I knew my dad dreaded going back to the graveyard of his past, but you know what they say; everything happens for a reason.


	2. Chp 1: Shark In the Water

For Everything a Reason

Chapter 1: Shark In the Water

The branches slap against my face harshly as I run deeper into the forest. The thorns from the branches tear maliciously at my

flesh, but I don't feel pain. I don't feel anything. I'm trying to run fast, but an invisible force is dragging me down. It's like

trying to sprint through a pool of caramel. I'm in one of those dreams where no matter how hard you push your body to run

faster you just can't. They're yelling things behind me, but I can't understand them. I don't know who they are; I just know

they want to kill me. I want to kill them, too because only one of us will come out alive. They begin to throw things; pebbles I

think. Why would they throw pebbles? I hear the pebbles hit the glass with a sharp rasp. Why is there glass in the forest?

Where is the glass even at? The pebbles hitting the glass become rhythmic, like a song. Between each tap I hear a familiar

voice calling my name. "Aspen!" tap "Aspen!" tap "Aspen!" The voice becomes impatient. "ASPEN!" a hail storm of pebbles

follow, and then I wake up.

My eyes snap open in alertness when a series of pebbles hit the window leading to my balcony. In my sleepy state they sound

like bullets. "Jesus Christ, Aspen!" a deep voice yells from outside. I push my hair out of my eyes and stumble stupidly to the

balcony. When I open the glass doors the light is blinding. I bury my head in my hands to protect my eyes from the sudden

assault of brightness. "Where fore out thou?" Holden Odair asks in a seductive voice. Holden is my oldest and best friend. We

grew up together since his mother, Annie, lived right next door. Holden was the spitting image of his father, Finnick, besides

the fact that he had dark brown hair that fell beautifully and effortlessly across his forehead. The sea green eyes and dazzling

grin were all Finnick though. Annie impressively held it together after Finnick's death, but my father insisted on keeping a close

eye on her for safe measures.

"Sleeping," I retort," Why aren't you?" I try to blink my eyes into focus. "I missed your beautiful face," Holden grinned

revealing a row of perfectly white teeth. He was such a flirt. He flirted with everyone. If you were a girl between 16-20 and you

were decently attractive, you were fair game. I honestly think he just can't help himself, it's his nature. We don't like each

other like that; we're more like brother and sister. This is a relief to every girl in town. They're constantly fawning over how

perfect and beautiful he is. In the words of his favorite song, he's sexy and he knows it.

"You couldn't have waited another hour?" I groan sleepily. "Nope. Now hurry up and get ready. I'll be downstairs," Holden says

as he slips around to the front of my house. I shake my head at his impatience and trudge back into my room. My bed is a

mess. By the looks of my sheets and comforter you would've thought I had a seizure or something. I tend to move around a lot

in my sleep. At least the rest of my room is spotless and in order. The walls are painted a light blue color that reminds me of

the ocean. I keep my king sized bed simple with a white lace comforter and satin sheets. To the left of the bed is a glass and

metal vanity, to the right of the bed is a dark wood dresser and computer desk with my laptop, and in front of the bed is my

flat screen TV. I rummage through the variety of fabrics in my dresser in record time and take a quick shower.

The steam from the shower wakes me up and my senses are back to being unnaturally heightened. I usually don't take too

long to get ready, especially when someone is waiting on me. Before heading downstairs I stop to check my reflection. My

straight chestnut brown hair falls to the top of my ribcage as usual, my feathery side bangs are where they should be, my light

blue eyes are clear and bright, and my naturally tan skin is glowing. Being naturally beautiful is a huge convenience. I'm not

self-conceited, I'm really not. But I'm not stupid either. I'm aware of what I look like, but I don't go around flaunting it. I try to

keep a low profile; as if that was even possible.

I run down the stairs two at a time. Now that I'm awake I'm anxious to see what Holden has planned for the day. When my

bare feet hit the wood floor that leads into the living room I notice two figures huddled close together. It's my brother, Declan,

and his girlfriend Fawn. Upon further investigation I see that they're making out; EW. "I don't know if you're aware of this, but

the living room is public domain," I hiss in clear annoyance. Fawn jumps away from Declan faster than I would of thought

possible. Fawn has big doe eyes that are the color of amber, long wavy light brown hair, fair skin, and heart shaped lips. She

isn't particularly striking, but she isn't ugly either. She's average and easily frightened. Declan on the other hand has shaggy

black hair, gray eyes, and a year round tan. He's cute, for a little brother, and has no shame. "Come on Aspen, it's not like we

were having sex on the couch," Declan says more casually than I'm comfortable with. Fawn's face reddens at his comment. I

can't help but laugh a little. "Sorry, I'm just not ready to be an aunt yet," I joke. "Everything isn't always about you all the

time, Aspen," Declan grins at me. "Cut it out you guys," Fawn giggles nervously. "Let's go upstairs," Declan grabs her hand and

leads her up the stairs. Oh young love.

The sun kisses every inch of my exposed skin as I walk onto the porch. The sky is a beautiful blue without a cloud in the sky.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Holden gestures to the sky, the flowering plants, and the green grass topped with fresh dew. "But not as

beautiful as me," he adds quickly. "Oh, of course not. We all know that's not possible," I smile. "Where do you wanna go

today?" Holden asks; he sounds like an excited little boy. I put a lot of thought into this question. "The beach," I reply. Holden

ushers me forward and we begin to walk in step with each other.

The misty air kisses my face as I walk along the shoreline. Holden jumps from rock to rock as the wave's crash against them.

The grainy sand runs between my toes with each step I take. There's no one on the beach but Holden and I. The air is calm

and serene. It's like breathing in clarity and breathing out chaos. All your problems seem to evaporate as the cool water licks at

your feet. I could stay here forever, and I know Holden could, too. Water is his element; he thrives in it. When we were little

we used to pretend we were mermaids. Not the cutesy sparkly little mermaids, but tough badass mermaids with tridents and

stuff. That's just how we were. I knew at an early age the world was a helpless filthy place. How could it not be? Humanity is

flawed. It's a simple fact of life. There are always going to be bad people no matter what you do; that's just how it is. The

sooner you accept it the better.

The sun is beginning to set and Holden finally tires from his game of tag with the water. "Did you win?" I ask as he approaches

me with his shirt in hand. The droplets of water glisten as they run down his defined 6-pack. If it were any other girl on this

beach she'd be hyperventilating by now. But it wasn't any other girl; it was me, and I was unfazed by Holden's lack of clothes.

"Har har," he rolls his luminescent eyes, "And that's a stupid question to ask. I always win. Even if I lose I still win." "That

doesn't make any sense," I note matter-of-factly. "Doesn't have to," he retorts as he slips his gray t-shirt back on. My lips form

to the shape of a frown. Holden's clothing himself which means we have to go home now. "I don't wanna leave yet," I mumble

mostly to myself. This beach was my safe haven. Whenever the world closed in on me and I felt like I couldn't breathe I would

come here. As long as the waves still crashed upon the shore I knew everything would be alright. "We can come back

whenever you want," Holden assured, putting his arm around me in a way an older brother would do to his younger sister. I

nod as we start back towards the house. "And besides, it's not fair to deprive the rest of society from my presence," he laughs

as I elbow him in the ribs. The rest of the walk home is quiet and peaceful; just the way I like it.

I get a really weird feeling in the pit of my stomach as my house nears. Something in the air has changed, and I don't know

what it is. I have an instinct for things like this; when something isn't right. My first reaction would be to run the other way, but

this is my home, what could be so dangerous about that? Holden doesn't seem to notice the shift in the mood as he pushes

the front door open and strides on in like he owns the place. But then he stops short, causing me to slam into his back. "What's

going on?" he asks cautiously. I peer from behind him to see my dad, my mom, Declan, Annie, Johanna Mason, and Paisley

Mason sitting in a circle in the living room. Holden and I met Paisley when we were 8 years old. Johanna moved to District 2 for

reasons we never really figured out. My parents were shocked to see that Johanna had a daughter considering she was never

really the nurturing type. Paisley has big brown eyes and dark brown hair just like her mother, but the similarities stop there.

Paisley is about as girly and un-athletic as you can get. She's usually very bubbly, but the look in her eyes is as flat as soda

that's left out too long. It's not weird that everyone is just hangin' out in my living room. What's weird are the identical

expressions on their faces. They look…nervous. What the hell is going on? "Well?" I press. "We need to talk," My dad says

carefully. "Clearly," I state. "About what?" Holden adds. "Umm well," Annie fidgets. "You see," my mom tries. "Oh for Christ's

sake, Gale, tell them," Johanna says impatiently. My dad takes in a deep breath then exhales. "We're going back to District

12."


	3. Chp 2:Three Cheers For TwentyFive Years

For Everything a Reason

Chapter 2: Three Cheers For Twenty-five Years

I want to run back to the beach. I want to hear the wave's crash into the rocks. Instead all I hear is the buzz of an

uncomfortable silence. My eyes meet my mother's bright blue ones; they say _please say something, anything._ I turn to Declan.

His head is down; he won't look at me. Accusations swirl around in my head violently. "How long have you known?" I demand.

Declan lifts his head up and looks me straight in the eye. "I found out just before you walked in." I believe him. "What about

you?" Holden doesn't take his eyes off of Paisley.

"Same," She mumbles into her shoulder. It scares me how easily we thought our own friends and family would go

traitor on us. "When?" I speak directly to my dad. He looks calm. Our reaction was probably a lot better than the scenario he

had conjured up in his head. "Two weeks," he says steadily. To be honest I kind of saw this coming. "Why?" Holden asks to no

one in particular. "To reconnect with their bff, Haymitch," I say super sarcastically. "I don't appreciate your sarcasm," Holden

narrows his sea green eyes. "I do. Sarcasm is like a polite way to slap someone across the face," I smirk. "Wait, how old is

Haymitch anyway?" Paisley asks. "I don't know, old. Does it even matter?" Declan sounds annoyed. "No it doesn't. But what

does matter is that this year is the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Capitol, "Johanna breaks up our trivial argument. "And

District 12 was chosen to host the celebration for obvious reasons," my mom adds. She can't say it. She won't say it. But I will.

"Because of Katniss," I state bluntly. "Yeah," Annie shifts uncomfortably. It was sort of an unspoken rule that no one spoke of

her. Maybe it was because she associated my dad with the death of her sister. Maybe it was because he thought he loved her

at one point in his life. I don't know, but either way they haven't spoken in twenty-five years so it doesn't matter anyway. _Or _

_does it? _"So what does this have to do with us?" Declan says with an edge to his voice. "It's your history, Declan, and you have

no idea how lucky you are," my dad reprimands him. "Plus I bet the public is just _dying_ to find out how the war heroes' children

turned out," Holden notes. "That is probably true," my mom admits. The thought of being on display for all of Panem to pick

apart makes my head spin. "I'm going to my room," I say as I run up the stairs two at a time not caring if they weren't done

talking; I was done listening.

I find a photo album under my bed and begin to flip through it absent mindedly. I notice that pictures are pretty recent. There's

a picture of Holden trying to kiss my cheek as I'm laughing. There's one of Declan and I covered with flour and frosting after

baking a cake. That cake tasted pretty damn amazing I might add. There's one of Paisley and I doing cartwheels on the beach.

My favorite has to be the one of my dad, my mom, Declan and I. We're on the patio, Declan and I are hugging each other like

a close brother and sister do, my dad has his arms wrapped around my mom's waist like a man who really loves his wife, and

my mom has a huge grin on her face that shows she knows it. This is the only picture that, in my opinion, captures how much

my family really loves each other. My dad met my mom after two years of living in District 2. He said it was love at first sight,

which would have sounded cliché and cheesy coming from anyone else, but coming from him it sounded genuine and real. My

mom was a nurse in training at the time, now she is a very prestigious doctor. One of my dad's favorite things to do is show

me old pictures of when he and my mom first met. He always tells me how much I look like her, and I do. We have the same

bright blue eyes, chestnut brown hair, and tan skin. My personality is mainly my dad though. When I first met Johanna she

said, "You are definitely your mother's daughter," but after she got to know me she changed it to, "You are definitely your

father's daughter." I have the same fire, aggression, and temper as my father. But I have a softer side, deep down. I pretend

that I don't care, but in reality I care way too much. I hate getting close to people because I know how easy it is to lose them.

I'm trying to work on that. Aside from my parents, Holden and Declan are the only other ones who know all of my sides.

Paisley is too oblivious to see past the sarcasm and snide comments.

I hear a series a short knocks at my door. It reminds me of the pebbles at my window this morning. Maybe it's because I know

that Holden is on the other side. "Come in, "I yell loud enough so they can hear me. Holden, Declan, and Paisley shuffle into

my room and plop down wherever suits them. Paisley delicately sits down on the computer chair. Everything about her seems

so fragile. Declan falls into a bean bag chair and Holden plops onto my bed next to me just like I expected him to. "What

happened after I left?" I ask as I pull my legs into a crisscross position. "It got quiet and awkward. Then everyone just started

to walk away one by one," Declan explains. "I know all the right things to say don't I," I laugh. "Everyone was thinking it. You

just happened to be the one to actually say it out loud," Holden says. "I don't get why no one ever brings up she-who-must-not

-be-named. Why do we act like she is the enemy?" Paisley asks innocently. Now is not a good time for her ignorance. "Enemy

isn't the right word," Declan tries to keep his cool, "However; she did and probably still does blame my dad for her sister's

death. There was never even solid proof that it was his bomb. It was war, shit happens and people die." This particular topic

really gets my brother going. He idolizes our dad. Right from the time when he first started talking all he would say is, "I wanna

grow up to be just like daddy!" Just like every other little kid; except the difference is, at fifteen he's still saying that. "We're

not saying she's the antichrist. We're just saying there are still some hard feelings, "I try to explain. "Aren't you-" Paisley

starts but then quickly stops. "What?" I ask. "I probably shouldn't say it. Declan might have a freaking conniption and

spontaneously combust," Paisley says with more of an edge than usual. I sigh. "Just say it." "Aren't you worried what will

happen when your dad sees Katniss?" she asks in one quick breath. The idea of my dad even having feelings for someone other

than my mom is inconceivable. "Nah. That was a long time ago. It's in the past for a reason," I say coolly. Declan relaxes.

"Alright. I was just wondering." And with that we drop it.

Shortly after our little discussion ended Declan muttered something about having to call Fawn and then promptly scuttled out of

the room. Paisley meekly excused herself saying she was going home to go to bed. Holden stayed for a little bit and we

watched reruns of _America's Next Top Model_. Holden's commentary was better than the show itself. In this moment I realized

just how grateful I was to have Holden Odair in my life. It made me wonder if this was how close my dad and Katniss were

before the Hunger Games shot their relationship to hell. If, god forbid, something ever happened and Declan died I would need

Holden more than ever. Even if by some crazy twist of fate he was involved in the accidental (and theoretical) death I honestly

believe I would be able to forgive him. Because that's what friends do. So no, my relationship with Holden isn't like theirs was.

From what I can conclude it's better.

When Holden leaves I'm too restless to sleep, so I go downstairs. When I get down there I don't see or hear anyone. I guess

that everyone must have gone to bed, but then I see the sliding door slightly open. I go outside to the patio and see my dad

gazing at the stars. I wonder if he does this often. "Are you okay with all of this?" he asks without turning to look at me. I'm

surprised he noticed I was there since I usually make close to no noise. He probably has that parental instinct thing that

maximizes your senses. "Yeah. I guess." I hadn't put much thought into how I felt about it. I was too concerned with how

everyone else felt about it. He laughs. "You need to stop worrying so much about everyone else, Aspen." "Sorry. You know

selflessness is a valued virtue." "You could afford to gain some selfishness." He turns to look at me. That gets me thinking. "I

could've won." I know he knows what I mean, but he asks anyway. "Won what?" "The Hunger Games," I clarify. "I'm sure you

could've. But I'm glad we don't have to worry about testing that statement," he says thoughtfully. "You could've, too" I speak

without a filter. "Possibly. But for the last twenty-five years I've been trying to figure out if that is something to be proud of."

After that silence follows. In the silence I can see hear him strain to hear something that isn't actually here. I see the look in

his eyes and I know what he hears. It never goes away. It's something that'll follow you til the day you die. Inside of him

echoes the silent screams of a thousand dead children.

**A/N I'm hoping to post 3 chapters a week. May be more or less depending on what's going on in my life. On another note I really appreciate all of the positive feedback! :) It's great motivation to get these chapters out faster!**


	4. Chp 3: Let's Not Play Pretend

For Everything a Reason

Chapter 3:Let's Not Play Pretend

It's amazing how fast time can fly by. One minute you're standing in your living room next to your best friend while your dad makes an announcement that will change your life, and the next minute you're on a train waiting for that announcement to become reality.

We boarded the train this morning at the good ole time of 6:30. Paisley was annoyingly awake and chipper at that un-godly hour. The only thing that kept me from ripping out her esophagus was the obscene gestures Holden was making behind her back. Have I ever mentioned how much I love that boy?

I got to my room as fast as possible, not caring how antisocial I was being. Retreating to solitude was what was best for everyone's safety, especially Paisley's if she was going to keep up the whole _isn't this exciting? _giddiness. I quickly fell into a blissful sleep full of crazy dreams that didn't make sense. All day I alternated between sleeping and watching TV. It was the perfect cycle of laziness.

I was just coming out of a rather peaceful slumber when I heard a knock at my door. Before I could answer, Holden barged through the door and into my room. I must've forgotten to lock the door before I drifted off into serene nothingness. "I could've been naked," I said as I jokingly wrapped the covers across my chest. "That was a risk I was willing to take," Holden winked. I rolled my eyes and threw a pillow at him. He dodged the pillow with little effort and advanced toward me. "Come on, it's time for dinner," Holden grabbed my arm and pulled it lightly. My body jerked a little but I stayed sitting on the edge of the bed. "Ugh, can't we just order room service? I don't feel like being social tonight," I whined. I usually wasn't one to whine or complain openly, but this was Holden and there was no use trying to pretend with him. "Me either sweetheart," he yanked harder this time bringing me to my feet, "but we have to. For our parents." I didn't bother arguing; I knew he was right. I sighed in defeat and together we made our way to the dining room.

Sometimes there are days where you straight up hate everyone. Someone could breathe too loud and it would make you want to gauge out their eyes. Today was one of those days. We all sat around a long glass dining table that hosted an assortment of delicious food. Holden sat on my left and Declan sat on my right. My dad, my mom, Annie, Johanna, and Paisley were evenly apart from us. The first five minutes were painfully silent. We picked at our food awkwardly waiting for someone to say something. The silence was fine with me; if no one spoke there wasn't any danger of me snapping at them. But I'm not that lucky. "They're letting us stay in the Victor's Village," my dad said after taking a sip of his wine. "How generous of _them_," I mumbled ungratefully into my Chicken Alfredo. I felt Holden's knee nudge mine as a nonverbal way of saying shut up. Either Paisley didn't hear my snarky comment or she pretended not to hear it because then she asks, "Who is they?"

To be honest I was wondering the same thing. "The government," My mom stated. I guess that was the simple answer. "So what are we gonna do while you guys are doing whatever it is you'll be doing?" Declan piped up. "Whatever you want to do. Explore the town, get to know the locals," my dad answered. "Dance on the mass graves of the locals' family members," I couldn't stop myself. "Aspen!" my mom snapped. Here we go. "Oh come on! So we're all going to pretend like this isn't uncomfortable for all of us?" I fired back. "Of course it's a little strange, but it's not that big of a deal," my dad said way too formally. "Stop it. Stop being so formal and reasonable about everything. Think like me, dad, think like the 19 year old boy who never faced the consequences of his actions! And then look me in the eye and tell me it's no big deal," I yelled in one quick sentence. The realization of what I just said knocked the breath out of me. That's what was bothering me. My dad was acting like everything was fine and it wasn't. He was bullshitting us and I knew it.

Everyone is staring at me with their mouths' hanging wide open. There are no words for what just happened. Even Holden is speechless, and that is a rare occurrence. Annie begins to fidget with her silverware when the silence becomes unbearable. "Can someone pass me the butter please?" Paisley asks in complete oblivion. Lord have mercy upon her soul. I knew I should've stayed in my room. Johanna awkwardly slides the butter over to her daughter.

"You're right," my dad says. "What?" I blink in disbelief. "I said you're right. I'm terrified to face what I left behind in District 12. I walked away and never looked back, but now I'm being forced to go back to the graveyard of my past and deal with things I've ignored for twenty-five years. It's not going to be easy, but it's going to be okay," now he sounds like my dad. I feel like an asshole. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, but that's all I wanted. The truth," I say softly and apologetically. "I can't even be mad at you, you're too much like me," he smiles at me and for the first time since hearing the news I feel like everything is going to be alright.

We finish the rest of our dinner with light-hearted small talk. The atmosphere seems to of changed since my outburst; there isn't an elephant in the room anymore. The adults leave to go make some phone calls and the rest of us go to the lounge area. "I'm buying you a muzzle for Christmas," Holden laughs as he throws a muscular arm around me. "Oh shut up," I elbow him in the ribs. "Seriously though, way to make the conversation awkward," Paisley says in all seriousness. "Are you fricking kidding me?" I snort. I didn't even realize I had jumped to my feet until Holden pulls me back down.

"What?" Paisley asks eyes wide. I don't trust myself to speak so I bite down on my tongue. Instantly the metallic taste of blood attacks my taste buds. "_Can someone pass me the butter please?"_ Declan mocks in a high pitched voice "You're in no position to criticize anyone's ability to keep a conversation flowing." As much as I appreciate Declan coming to my defense I don't want this to turn into a serious fight. "Let's just talk about something else," I intervene. "That sounds like a superb idea," Holden backs me up. Paisley and Declan immediately relax. I guess you could say Holden and I are the ring leaders of our little group.

"I hope there will be hot guys there," Paisley fidgets in excitement. I mentally thank God for giving her such a short attention span. "Yeah me, too," I smile. "Don't get your hopes up. Compared to me every guy you're going to meet will be a letdown," Holden reeks of arrogance. In response we all laugh and take a few playful jabs at him. I don't know what is going to happen in District 12, but I do know that with friends like these I have nothing to worry about.

**A/N: I'm having layout issues so please be patient with that. This chapter was kind of a connecting chapter so it wasn't too exciting, but the next chapter is when the good stuff starts happening! They arrive in District 12 and Aspen meets a very beautiful boy. If I get some reviews I may just post the next chapter tomorrow! :)**


	5. Chp 4: Nobody's Home

For Everything a Reason

Chapter 4: Nobody's Home

I'm here. My dad is here. Holden, he's here, too. We're all here. How did this happen? When I close my eyes I'm back home sitting on the patio with Holden, listening to him go off on some tangent about something that doesn't matter. Paisley will come dancing into the yard babbling on about some cute guy she made eye contact with for five seconds. But she won't because she isn't in my head. She is right here in front of me.

"Aspen," Paisley waves a hand in my face. "What?" my eyes snap open. "Nice of you to join us here in reality," Holden says as he picks up a bunch of suitcases. "Why are you picking those up?" Paisley turns her attention towards Holden. "I hate to break it to you lovely ladies but we're going to have to carry our own suitcases to the house. On foot," Holden says the last part all dramatically. That's not really a big deal for me since I kind of enjoy the pain of physical labor. When I wake up with sore muscles I know I accomplished something the previous day. Paisley, however, isn't really into the whole exercise fitness thing. She begins to whine when I hear a fragment of my mom, dad, and Johanna's conversation; something about a disloyal bastard. Suddenly I want to be a part of that conversation.

It's not hard to separate myself from Paisley and Holden because Paisley is incessantly whining and Holden is going off on some speech about how exercise is self-fulfilling and whatever. He's so into his little rant that he doesn't seem to notice how ridiculous his wild hand gestures look. It's a good thing the train station is desolate; those two would probably attract an audience with a performance like that.

I make my way over to my parents. "Hey, who's a disloyal bastard?" I say real casually. My mom and dad laugh. "Me," my dad says with a huge grin. I shoot him a confused look. "We were just thinking of all the names Katniss probably refers to him as," Johanna clarifies. It seems like no one ever fully grows up. I think that's a good thing. "Come on," my dad nudges my shoulder forward, "we should get to the house."

Shockingly Paisley managed to carry all of her suitcases by herself. I believe hell may just have frozen over. "I told ya you could do it," Holden smiles smugly. "Whatever. I'm going to unpack," Paisley ignores his comment and dashes up the stairs, "Aspen, are you coming?" "Nah. I'm going to go explore," "Suit yourself," she says before disappearing around the corner. "Wanna come?" I ask Holden. He looks around the room observantly. "I want to, but I should really stay with my mom," he gestures to Annie. She is pacing in front of the granite fireplace.  
>"Right. Yeah, that's totally fine," I smile and smack his arm.<p>

I'm halfway down the driveway when I hear my mom. "Aspen, where are you going?" she asks in curiosity. "I don't know. That's the beauty of it," "Okay just don't get lost," she says in that protective mothering voice. "Mommm, I'm not a little kid. And that's such a typical mom thing to say," I straighten my posture for good measure. "I know," she laughs lightly. "Ava," my dad calls from the kitchen. "You better go see what dad wants. Maybe he found an old squirrel trap," I point back to the house. She rolls her eyes at me and disappears into the doorway as I disappear into uncharted territory.

The town is really busy. Busier than I would have thought. People are chattering and laughing about who knows what. They seem happy though, and that's all that matters. I pass a young girl with blonde pigtails and red cheeks. "You can't catch me!" she giggles in a high octave as a boy a year or two younger than me chases after her. It makes me wonder if I was that adorable as a little kid. My parents say I was, but of course they have to say that. What are they going to say? _Aspen, you were the ugliest little thing God ever created. _I don't think so.

As much as I love the rush of a busy town and being a part of that crowd that seems to move as one, I wasn't in the mood. I longed for quiet and peace. A serene oasis of nothing but nature and I. "Excuse me," I walk up to a man who looks to be in his early-twenties, "do you know how to get to the woods from here?" He turns around at the sound of my voice. He has messy black hair that seems to spike out in all directions, but it seems to work for him. His eyes are a light brown and it appears he hasn't shaven in a couple days. "Go through the back alley behind the bakery, take a left and keep going until you see the old fence," he then takes a good look at me. "Thanks," I smile appreciatively. "The busy crowd ain't doin' it for ya?" he smiles back. "Not today," with that I start towards the bakery.

The fumes being emitted from the bakery windows are almost hypnotizing. I nearly trip over a garbage can when my nose turns to catch the scent. I almost go into cardiac arrest when I hear the scream of door hinges. "Sorry, I'm just passing through," I refuse to make direct eye contact with the man who came through the doors. I shamefully resort to hiding in the shadows. "It's no trouble," Peeta smiles warmly. He throws empty flour sacks into the garbage and thankfully goes back inside before he can get a good look at my face. I jog to the end of the alley just in case he or Katniss decides to go back outside for whatever reason.

I make an exaggerated sigh of relief when I come to the twisted metal fence. I wonder why the fence is even still here. It's not here for the purpose of keeping anything in or out, I can tell that much. I slide through a large opening in the rusted metal and walk wherever my feet decide to take me. The grass is soft and green, the trees are blooming and full of life, and I can hear the faint run of a river. This is exactly what I need right now. The air here is refreshing and cleansing, unlike the congested streets.

I'm not looking for anything in particular. I'm content with just wandering around the woods. I'm not sure how long I've been out here but I'm guessing it's been a couple hours since the sun is going down. I'm about ready to head back to the house when I spot something intriguing. In the middle of a clearing is a house. Well, it looks more like a cabin than a house. It's a decent size and built out of logs. Instinctively I go to check it out. I push on the door lightly and it swings open. I peer inside to make sure there aren't any homicidal maniacs just hanging out. It looks safe enough to me. I step inside, not bothering to close the door behind me. The cabin is empty, much to my disappointment. An averaged sized window decorates the right wall and a rather tall window decorates the left wall. That is all. There's nothing interesting about an empty cabin. I'm about to leave when something catches the corner of my eye. In the far left corner of the cabin, behind the highest point of the rafter, there is something carved in the wooden wall. I'm not sure how I noticed it. Maybe it's fate.

Getting up on the rafter is going to be a challenge. I jump onto the ledge of the window, which brings me about three feet closer to my goal. _Alright, this can't be impossible. If someone managed to get up there to carve whatever that is in the wall then I can get up there, too._ Next to the window is what looks like seven foot holes. At first glance they don't seem to go anywhere. Upon further inspection I realize the foot holes lead to a small ledge above the tall window.

I manage to scale the wall like Spiderman and make it to the ledge without falling to the floor. From here I can jump onto the rafter. By that I mean I can try to be as accurate as possible and pray to god I don't get my face exfoliated by the splintered floor. This is a bad idea and I know it. If Paisley we here she'd be screaming at me from the ground not to do it. If Holden were here he'd already be on the rafter by now. I couldn't bear going back to the house and telling Holden that I didn't do it. So out of curiosity, pride, and mostly stupidity, I jump.

My feet make a graceful impact on the wooden rafter. I bend my knees to balance myself, and straighten up when I'm sure I won't go flying off the edge. I smile in satisfaction; Holden would be so proud. My dad would more than likely be proud, too. Probably more of mix between proud and horrified, but still proud. I turn my back to the door so I can try to get a good look at the words inscribed in the wood. I lean forward as much as I can without falling. "Dammit," I mutter to myself. It's too dark for me to make out what it says. If I were a few feet closer I could figure it out. That makes me wonder how someone managed to carve something on the wall anyway.

I just stand there staring at the wall, willing the words to magically light up for me. No such luck. "Hey!" someone yells from below me. The sudden noise startles me and I reflexively jump back in surprise. That's not a good idea when you're standing 10 feet above the ground on a thin (not to mention unstable) rafter. Instantly I feel my foot slip and I go spiraling off the rafter backwards. I scream as the distance between my face and floor decreases. My body slams into the other person and we both fall to the ground. They gasp when my head strikes their chest.

I open my eyes to find myself on top of a boy with gray eyes and blonde hair. He looks like he's my age. "You shouldn't sneak up someone like that," I say as I roll off of him. He shakes his flaxen head and sits up. "I saved your life," he humbly points out. "My life wasn't in need of saving until you walked in," I retort. "So you think. That thing could've snapped at any second," he points up. "You don't know that it would've," I argue. "You don't know that it wouldn't have," he fires back. "Fair enough," I sigh in defeat. I stretch my limbs to ensure there isn't any damage. When I'm sure nothing is broken I stand up and start for the door. "Hey!" the boy calls for me again. I turn around and look at him. This time I _really _look at him. Even in the dark I can see the curve of muscles in his tan arms, his high cheek bones, his pouty grin, his light blonde hair resting on the tips of his long eyelashes, and the whiteness of his perfectly straight teeth. He's beautiful.

"What?" I ask. "My name is Tate. I just thought you should know so you can find me when you figure out how to repay me for saving your life," he smiles a dazzling smile that makes my breath catch in my throat. I can't help but laugh. "Aspen," I respond. "I'll see you around, Aspen." I like the way he says my name. He makes it sound like the name of a precious jewel rather than a sarcastic, reckless girl. "See you around, Tate," I return the smile. Without another word I exit the cabin, not even bothered by the fact that I didn't get to find out what was carved into the wall.

**A/N: I really want to thank you guys for the amazing reviews! It makes my day to know that you enjoy my story :). Reviews are great motivation to get these chapters out faster!**


	6. Chp 5: Sleep Now In the Fire

For Everything a Reason

Chapter 5: SLEEP NOW IN THE FIRE

It is pitch black outside by the time I find myself staring at the front door. I reach out and gently twist the golden door knob. Much to my delight and horror it opens soundlessly. I'm glad that I don't have to wake anyone up to let me in, but I'm worried as to why they thought it would be a good idea to leave the door unlocked. I walk inside, shutting _and _locking the door behind me. The living room is big to say the least. The walls are painted crème beige and the floors are an off white. A giant dark brown couch sits directly in front of a huge flat screen television. The granite fireplace is alive with flickering tongues of flame.

The living room opens up into a top of the line kitchen. Everything is stainless steel and the counter tops are dark granite. It is decorated in a way that reminds me of Italy. The walls are painted an olive green, there is a small wine holder adorned with acrylic purple grapes, a round glass table sits comfortably by the entrance, and a grand island pierces the center. It's not the beauty of the kitchen that makes me stop and stare. It's the fact that Holden is sprawled out on top of the island like he's a beached whale. "Holden!" I yell at him, "what are you doing?" Holden looks up immediately; his sea-green eyes wide in surprise. "I didn't hear you come in. Where have you been?" he asks in genuine curiosity. "Just exploring. I lost track of time," I say. Technically it's the truth. "Find anything interesting?" he persists. I don't want to lie to him, but telling him about Tate just feels weird. _Yeah I met this guy in an abandoned log cabin in the middle of the woods. Ya know no big deal, happens all the time. Story of my life. _

"Maybe. What were you doing lying on the island?" I change the subject.

"Well lying on a kitchen island is something I have never done before,"

I blink in surprise. "You did it simply because it was something you had never done before?"

"That is exactly why,"

"And how was it?"

"Exhilarating,"

I grab an orange from the fruit bowl sitting on top of the table and throw it at him. Holden catches it and laughs. "What did you do that for?" he examines the orange for any imperfections. "Well, it was something that I had never done before," I smile. "Was it exhilarating?" he asks with a straight face. "More like satisfying," I admit with a laugh.

After Holden and I both had the experience of trying something new we parted our ways in search of our rooms. Mine was the second door on the right. It had a large king sized bed covered in a cream lace duvet, a dark wood desk in the corner, a vanity and a dresser on the opposite side, and a TV, much like the one in the living room, directly in front of the bed. I walk over to the dresser and realize that someone had already unpacked for me. I would have to thank either my mom or Paisley in the morning.

I climb into the bed; anxious to become enveloped in the soft sheets. I pull the comforter around my neck and begin to think of today's events. The only thing that sticks out in my mind is that log cabin and, of course, Tate. I wonder who built it, and why it was so empty. I wonder who exactly Tate is, and what he was doing in the woods so late at night. He had to be from around here; he had the gray eyes that were the trade mark of District 12. I'm probably going to see him again during my stay. I wonder if he and Holden will get along. I hope that they would because Holden can be quite the asshole. Paisley will instantly be all over him, I just know it. She can't really control herself around good-looking guys. It's a wonder that she's never been attracted to Holden. It's probably because they've known each other since they were little. The same reason Holden and I aren't attracted to each other. I think about things like these until the wave of sleep creeps up on me and takes me under.

_It's hot in the arena. Really hot. I'm perched safely in a tree. From here I can see Holden swimming obliviously in a pond with a trident gripped tight in his left hand. I don't bother reprimanding him for such careless behavior because I figure he knows what he's doing. I am, however, worried about Paisley. She went off to check the traps half an hour ago and hasn't returned. I fidget with the dagger in my hand; probably not the brightest idea. I accidently cut my palm. A steady little stream of red begins to trickle down my wrist, but I don't feel pain. I don't feel anything. "Aspen," a voice whispers from below me. I nearly fall out of the tree. My worries are soon erased when I realize it's Paisley looking up at me, her brown eyes showing no alarm._

_ "Come down here," she whispers. I slide out of my safe haven and waltz over to Paisley. She holds out an unlucky dead squirrel for me to inspect. Suddenly it gets even hotter in the arena and Paisley gasps. "That boy is on fire!" She yells. I whip around to see that the boy is Tate and he is indeed on fire. A high pitched shriek escapes my lips. Holden emerges from some large bushes soaking wet and laughs in amusement. "Would you look at that? A boy on fire," he puts emphasis on the word boy. His casual reaction makes me want to slap him, but then I realize Tate doesn't look to be in pain at all. "You know what this means?" Tate calls to me. "That you've seem to set yourself on fire without knowing?" I respond. "Oh, Aspen," he laughs whilst shaking his head, "May the odds be ever in your favor."_

My eyes snap open. The clock says its 10:32 A.M. and I hear soft rain pelting the window. I don't feel like trying to go back to sleep. I don't feel like leaving the comfort of the bed quite yet either, so I just lay there entangled in the sheets. "But Holden, you promised we'd go into town today!" I hear Paisley whine out in the hallway. "Paisley," Holden says impatiently, "I know you're not a meteorologist, but it doesn't take a professional to look out the window and realize that precipitation is falling rather violently from the sky. We'll go tomorrow when it's not raining." "Fine," Paisley says dramatically.

Their voices are soon replaced with the angry steps of Paisley and the annoyed steps of Holden. Sometimes I wonder how they've put up with each other for so long. I stretch by arching my back and make that weird noise one makes when stretching out. The rain outside becomes louder and more rhythmic. Today sounds like a good day to lie around and do nothing, so that is precisely what I do.

****Please read****


	7. Chp 6: Eyes on Fire

For Everything a Reason

Chapter 6: Eyes on Fire

****WARNING** There is some very strong language at the end of this chapter.**

It's a beautiful day today. There's not a cloud in the sky as we all sit on the patio eating our breakfast and chattering about nothing in particular. "What's the plan for today?" Declan asks in between bites of his blueberry pancakes. "Well, we have some things to attend to," my dad answers vaguely. "What kind of things?" Paisley asks obliviously. "Things we can't know about," Declan replies sharply. He isn't a patient boy. "Hey, Declan, what do you say we spend the day together? Do some male bonding?" Holden asks. "Yeah," Declan grins, "sounds great." "Aspen, we should go in to town today!" Paisley suggests eagerly. "Yeah, sure," I reply unenthusiastically. "Oh come on. Would it kill you to be in a good mood about something for once?" Paisley pouts. "Maybe," I say with a mouthful of fruit parfait. "Gross," Paisley shakes her head at me. Holden laughs and gives me a high-five.

"Who wants some chocolate chip waffles?" my mom asks while setting down a plate of fresh waffles. I freaking love waffles. "You're the best," I tell my mom as I pile three waffles on to my plate. I am radiating happiness at this point. "You're seriously more excited over those stupid waffles than going in to town?" Paisley asks incredulously. "Hey, good food is worth being excited about," I retort. "Touché," Holden agrees.

We finish the rest of our meal with idle chit chat. Holden and Declan quickly leave to begin their guys day out. The adults give a vague explanation as to what they're doing and then they're gone, too.

"Looks like it's just you and me," I turn to Paisley.

"Can we go in to town now?" Paisley's brown eyes are hopeful.

"What's in town that you're so eager to see?"

"Nothing in particular. I just want to explore."

"Bull shit. You just wanna meet hot guys."

"That might have something to do with it."

To say that Paisley is boy crazy would be a fair conclusion. She can only go so long withou tmale attention. It's always one guy after another. I'm not saying she's a slut, but she's spent more time under men than all the country's barstools.

The town is quite busy today. Everyone's talking and laughing happily. I spot the guy who gave me directions to the woods the other day. I wonder if he would remember me. Paisley and I find ourselves in a well sized thrift/ trading store. Paisley darts off towards some floral print dresses while I walk around casually. I overhear two guys arguing about whether a squirrel is worth 6 ounces of berries. I've never eaten a squirrel, but it does not sound appealing nor worth 6 ounces of berries. I find a rack of silk scarves and rub the fabric between my fingers gently. I like the feel of silk.

I'm trying to decide if coral is a good color on me when I hear a high-pitched giggle. It's the same annoying giggle Paisley does when she's attempting to flirt. It makes me want to bash her head into a brick wall. My eyes follow the sound of the giggle and I spot Paisley touching the arm of some tall, tan, blonde guy. He has gray eyes, high cheekbones, his hair rests right on the tips of his- oh…

"I can't leave you alone for two seconds can I?" I say to Paisley when I approach them. She rolls her eyes at me. "Leave it to Aspen to kill the mood," Paisley glares at me. "Hey Aspen, find a way to repay me yet?" Tate asks me, his grin as dazzling as the last time I saw him. "Not yet. I'm still working on it," I return the smile. "You two know each other?" Paisley doesn't even try to hide her disappointment. "Yeah, I saved her life," Tate punches me lightly in the arm. "What?" Paisley looks at me like I owe her an explanation. I just shrug. I don't owe her shit. Before Paisley can ask again Tate makes an indignant sound in the back of his throat. I follow his gaze to see a group of teenagers who look to be our age.

There's four of them; two girls two boys. The one girl is tall and slender with pale skin, red wavy hair, and aqua eyes. The other girl is medium height with black curly hair, tan skin, and hazel eyes. The boy with his arm around the red head has shaggy brown hair, lean muscles, tan skin, and brown eyes. It's the boy closest to us that makes me nervous. He's tall and muscular with short black hair, tan skin, and bright amber eyes. The pigmentation and intensity of his stare makes it look like his eyes are on fire.

"Who are they?" I whisper to Tate. "Their parents lived in the Capitol before the rebellion," he explains. "Is that why they look like they'd like to rip off the head of everyone they pass by?" I ask. Tate laughs. "Yeah pretty much. They could've lived a life of luxury. Now they're just regular middle class citizens who, god forbid, will have to get jobs to support themselves." "Sucks for them," Paisley says condescendingly while absentmindedly twirling a piece of hair around her tiny finger. She's really getting on my nerves today. She should be thanking me for every second I haven't punched her in the face yet. "I gotta get going, but I'll see you around," Tate nudges my arm again before taking off. "See ya," Paisley and I say in unison.

I look out the shop doors to see that it's raining outside. Before I can tear my gaze away I make eye contact with the guy with fire pits for eyes. He looks at me like he knows me. Like he knows me and doesn't like me. I look away before he can freak me out any further. "Let's go," I say to Paisley before walking out the side door into the rain. "It's raining!" Paisley whines as she struggles to keep up with my fast pace. "So walk faster," I snap, my patience has run out. "God you're such a bitch," Paisley hisses from behind me. "What?" I whirl around to face her. By this time we're both soaking wet.

"You ruined my conversation with Tate. Nobody asked you to join in."

"Are you fucking kidding me? Obviously he didn't mind. And he's not your type anyway."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh I don't know. You only ever seem to go for the guys who are narcissistic idiots that only want sex."

"Are you saying that's all I'm good for?"

"No. You're probably not even good at that." With that I keep walking.

"Fucking bitch!" Paisley yells from behind me.

"Fucking slut!" I yell back.

"I'm not a slut!" She screams.

"If your vagina had a password it would be password."

I see the driveway to the house and I run up to the door. "Fuck you," Paisley snaps, still a ways behind me. "Fuck off," I hiss venomously before going in to the house. I slam the door behind me not caring if Paisley can get in or not. I run up the stairs two at a time and feel slightly relieved when I'm in my room. I lock the door and pray that Paisley has at least enough brain cells to realize that trying to continue this fight with me right now is a bad idea.

I can hear her angry footsteps against the wood of the stairs. Luckily she goes to straight to her room without trying to talk to me. I sigh and begin to remove my wet clothes. I wrap a white bathrobe around my damp body and look into the mirror. My hair is soaking wet and my skin is coated in a layer of rain. But what startles me the most are my eyes. Despite the fact that they're blue, they look like they're on fire.

**A/N: I am so sorry I haven't updated this recently! I've been busy and blah blah blah but i'll try to get these chapters up faster! Thanks for reading :) I also saw The Hunger Games movie on friday and it was absolutely amazing! If you haven't seen it yet, you need to get on that asap!**


	8. Chp 7: What if I Told You

For Everything a Reason

Chapter 7: What If I Told You

_I feel like I'm in the 9__th__ circle of hell. It's so cold that the mass amount of blood covering the forest floor is beginning to crystallize. The blood makes sharp crunching noises when I try to walk across it. The sound makes me want to vomit. I hear things behind me. They sound like voices. Angry voices. I break into a sprint, not caring that the branches of the sickly black trees are tearing hungrily at my flesh. This time I'm not running in slow motion. I make it to a large pond hidden behind entangled bushes. I quickly take refuge in the pond's black water. I keep just my eyes above water. Four human figures come into view. At first I can't even tell which is male or female. One looks towards the bushes and then I can see it. A pair of amber eyes glowing in inferno. Despite the fact that I'm about 97% underwater I open my mouth in a surprised gasp. Strangely I don't feel water rush into my lungs eager to choke the air out of me. Breathing is apparently more of an option rather than a necessity. Thankfully they don't see me, but someone else does. There's someone else in the water that I didn't notice until they were right in front of me. His blonde hair is soaked and his gray eyes looked panicked. "Wake up," he whispers urgently. "What?" I whisper back. "Aspen, wake up," he pleads. This time, even though I see Tate, I hear Holden's voice. Before I can respond a bright light explodes in my face._

"Morning Sunshine!" Holden says in a chipper tone as he draws back the curtains. "Ugh," I groan, trying to protect my eyes from the cheery brightness that is sunlight. "You must have some pretty wild dreams," Holden says pointing at me. "Huh?" I ask. I look down to find the comforter and sheets either on the floor or wrapped around my body almost as if to restrain me. "Oh, this is nothing," I say as I begin to shimmy out of the sheets. "Yeah remember that one time you were on the ground?" Holden laughs at the memory of me lying on the ground tangled in the sheets. "Unfortunately yes, and that kind of hurt," I reminisce. "What do you dream about anyway?" Holden inquires. "The games. Each time is a little different though .You've been in some," I inform him. "Really?" he smiles brightly, "what am I doing?"

"Most of the time you're walking around with a trident, not a care in the world."

"Sounds like me."

"It stresses me out."

"Everything stresses you out."

"Touché."

Holden walks away from the curtains to sit on my disheveled bed. "What happened last night?" he asks curiously. "What are you talking about?" I try to feign innocence. "I heard a lot of angry footsteps and door slamming," he explains. "I'm a bad person who doesn't want to deal with her own problems so I take it out verbally on other people," I say, burying my head into the sheets. Holden laughs and pats my shoulder. "You're not half as bad as you think you are," he says with certainty. Holden is the kind of friend who will love you even when you don't deserve it. I'm really lucky to have him. "Have you ever gotten the feeling that you're missing something? That someone is hiding something from you?" I ask.

"Nope. I'm all knowing. Kind of like God, but sexier."

"You're going to hell," I laugh.

"At least I'll see you there."

"Shut up." I smack him with the last pillow remaining on the bed.

"But seriously what happened?" he asks as he deflects the pillow. "Shouldn't you already know? I mean you are all knowing right?" I tease with a smile. He rolls his sea green eyes at me. "Listen smart ass, just tell me what the hell happened," he tries to sound annoyed but it doesn't work. "I'm a bitch and Paisley's a slut," I announce. "Tell me something I don't know," Holden grins. "I loudly called her a slut. In public," I confess without much remorse. Holden snorts a laugh and asks, "What'd you do that for?" I sigh and debate how much I should really tell him. He's going to find out sooner or later so I begin to tell him about Tate; starting from the beginning.

I was right about Holden being impressed about the jumping on to the rafter thing. He was pretty cool about the whole thing. He wants to know who Tate just about as much as I do. Now just to handle the Paisley situation.

I find her sulking on the patio. She's lounging on a lawn chair presumably loathing her life. "Hey," I say as I lower myself into a sitting position next to her. Her brown eyes are transfixed on the clear blue sky. She won't even look at me. I make an exasperated sigh. "For Christ's sake I'm sorry alright," I say impatiently. "You don't get it," she says, still not looking at me. "Clearly. Care to enlighten me?" I lean back on my elbows. "You have everything. Both your parents, a bother, even Holden. I know my mom wishes I was more like you, my dad left when I was two, I haven't got a brother, and the only reason Holden puts up with me is because of you," she says with her eyes still fixated on nothing in particular. I don't know what to say, so I don't say anything.

She continues, "I know I can always at least get attention from guys. But when you showed up all Tate was interested in was you," this time she stares directly into my blue eyes. It makes me a little uncomfortable. "I'm… sorry?" I mean to say but it comes out sounding more like a question. "I wouldn't expect you to understand," she turns her gaze back to the sky. "Oh don't give me that! We all have our problems. You don't wear my chains and I don't wear yours. So don't tell me what I do and don't understand," I snap. She's still staring off into the distance with no emotion or reaction, no visible sign that she even heard me. I shake my head and walk back into the house. There's no use trying to talk to her today.

I find Declan stuffing his face with cherry turnovers. "It's a wonder you're not obese," I note. "High metabolism," Declan licks his lips. "Where is everyone?" I ask when I notice that the living room is completely empty. "They left for another top secret meeting about who knows what," Declan explains. I haven't seen much of my parents lately so whatever is going on must be important. Declan looks like he's about to say something but is interrupted when his phone starts singing some song I've never heard. "Oh, it's Fawn, I'll see you later," he says as runs up the stairs like a giddy little boy. "He is so whipped," I say to myself before walking out the door.

Somehow I end up in a meadow. I'm not really sure how I got here. The grass is tall and green, the wildlife is alive and active, and the air is cleansing. I can finally hear myself think. I keep walking until I find a stream with large rocks interrupting its steady flow. I jump from rock to rock until I make it to the large one in the center. I sit down and close my eyes so I can focus on the sound of the water caressing the stone. "Come here often?" a friendly voice interrupts my trance. I turn around to see Tate standing there with a bag full of what I think are plants. "Are you stalking me?" I ask with a small amount of seriousness. "Nah," he smiles, "I guess we just have some things in common."

"You don't know me," I smile to show I don't mean it in a snide way.

"You haven't given me the chance to."

"Fair enough. What do you want to know?"

"Anything you want to tell me," he says, making his way over to sit next to me

I consider this for a moment before speaking. What if I told him who I really was? That thought is a little too nerve-racking so I decide to start out small. "Well I'm 17 years old, my favorite color is blue, I have a 15-year-old brother named Declan, my best friend's name is Holden, Paisley and I are friends but we fight a lot, I'm from District 2, I love being outdoors, I'm really sarcastic, and I don't trust people easily," I say with more ease than I expected. "Nice to know about you," Tate smiles. "What are those for?" I gesture toward the bag of plants. "Oh, my mom wanted them. Usually she'd get them herself but she's pretty busy today," he says. "What a good son you are," I tease lightly. "I'm an angel," he says folding his hands together.

We laugh and admire the pinkish glow the sunset casts onto the water. I tell him some of my favorite memories with Holden and my brother. I tell him about the beach in District 2 that I love so much. I tell him about the first time I shot a deer. For some reason I can't explain, I trust this boy I barely know. "So now that you know basically everything about me, tell me about you," I insist. Tate leans back onto his elbows and purses his lips. "Well, I've lived in District 12 my whole life, I'm 17 years old, my favorite color is green, I have a 19-year-old sister named Kaya, my parents own the local bakery,…"

I don't hear anything else he says. Suddenly the water becomes deafeningly loud and my head starts to spin. I feel sea sick. "Hey, are you okay?" Tate lightly touches my arm. "What did you say?" I ask dizzily. "I asked if you were okay," he sounds concerned. "No, before that about the bakery," I look directly into his gray eyes. He looks really confused. "My parents own the bakery. I'm Tate Mellark."als

**A/N: Sorry it takes me so long to post these chapters, I'm sort of a perfectionist. Also a little fun fact- Some of the chapters are songs. I pick the song based on if the title of the song makes sense with the chapter or if the actual song makes sense with the chapter. This chapter is What if i told you by Jason Walker. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter :)**


	9. Chp 8: Same Mistakes

For Everything a Reason

Chapter 8: Same Mistakes

_"Circles, we're going in circles_  
><em>Dizzy's all it makes us<em>  
><em>We know where it takes us<em>  
><em>We've been before<em>  
><em>Closer, maybe looking closer<em>  
><em>There's more to discover<em>  
><em>Find out what went wrong without blaming each other"<em>

~Same Mistakes by One Direction

I stand up so fast that I momentarily go blind and begin to tip over. Tate pushes me upright, his eyes filled with alarm. "What is going on?" his voice goes up two octaves. I open my mouth but nothing comes out. This isn't happening. I'm dreaming and in a few seconds Holden will wake me up. I take a step back and feel a sharp pain as a dangerously pointed rock digs into my heel. Okay, so maybe I'm not dreaming. "I have to go," I choke out in a voice that doesn't even sound like me. I feel as if I'm having an out of body experience, except I'm not asleep. "No," Tate says as he moves to block my path. "Excuse me?" I blink in surprise. I can't even think straight. "You can't just freak out about I don't even know what and then just leave," he says, sounding kind of annoyed.

"I'm sorry," I sigh.

"I don't want an apology. I want an explanation."

"You might not like my explanation."

"You don't know that," he persists.

"Hi, my name is Aspen Hawthorne. My dad and your mom used to love each other until my dad may have dropped a bomb that killed, who would've been, your aunt," I blurt out in one quick breath. Tate just stands there and stares at me. "Go on then, say something," I insist. "I'm sorry, I just missed the part where that had anything to do with us," Tate retorted. "You're kidding right?" I ask in astonishment. "Not at all. Our parents have history, we don't. Look I probably should've been home twenty minutes ago; can we talk about this later?" Tate asks. "Later when?"

"Can you sneak out tonight? Say two in the morning?" Tate clarifies.

I consider this for a moment. "Yeah I can sneak out. Meet right here at two."

"Sounds like a plan," Tate grins before he disappears into the trees.

The walk home was a total blur. Well, it was more like a sprint-as-if-your-life-depended-on-it 'walk' home, but a blur none the less. I needed to tell Holden. Once he knew everything I'd be able function properly. I ran through the door into the living room to find no one there. "Hello?" I called out. No answer. "Helllooooooo?" I tried again. Again, no answer. "Where the hell is everyone?" I muttered to myself. I go upstairs to see if anyone is hiding out there. I check my parent's room. No one. I check Johanna's room. No one. I check Annie's room. No one. I check Declan's room. No one. I check Holden's room. No one. At this point I call it quits and head to my room. I was going to check Paisley's room, but then it dawned on me that it really didn't matter if she was home or not.

I open my door and lo and behold Holden is lying on my bed passed out. I quietly tip toe over to him, trying to make as little sound as possible. I gently climb onto the bed and stand up. Once I'm positioned right next to his head I begin to jump and down. "IT'S TIME TO GET UP!" I yell at the top of my lungs. "GAAHHH!" Holden screeches, covering his ears with his hands. When I don't stop jumping he grabs my leg to bring me down. "What is wrong with you?" Holden laughs. "I think the better question is why are you sleeping in MY bed?" I start to laugh, too. "At the time the help hadn't changed the sheets on my bed yet," Holden explained. "We have help?" This was news to me. "Apparently." Holden stretched out like a cat.

"Look I need to talk to about something important."

"More important than the help not doing their job?"

"Yes, Holden, more important than that."

"I kind of doubt that, but carry on."

"Tate is Katniss and Peeta's son."

"You don't say. Do you think he makes good pies?"

"Are you kidding me," I glare at Holden.

"What? One's pie making ability is crucial to their character."

"Oh my god."

"Take me for example. I bake a good looking pie, and not so coincidentally I myself happen to be quite good looking."

"I'm going to kill you."

"Oh come on Aspen, lighten up."

"You don't see how this could be problematic?" I ask in disbelief.

"I get where you're coming from, but maybe you're overreacting a little."

"Has it ever crossed your mind that you're underreacting?"

"Not possible, everything I say or do is just."

"Lord help me."

"Alright, alright. Do you plan on seeing him again anytime soon?" Holden inquired.

"Yeah."

"When and where?"

"The woods at two in the morning."

"Sneaking out, how Romeo and Juliet of you."

"Har har." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm coming with you."

I'm about to protest to that, but then I realize that having Holden there probably wouldn't be such a bad thing. "Alright, fine," I agree. "This could be fun," Holden points out. "Maybe," I admit.

By the time 1:50 A.M. rolls around everyone is sound asleep except for Holden and I. Our parents and Johanna got home at around midnight and they looked straight up exhausted. They gave us the whole goodnight love you spiel before trudging to bed. I haven't been able to talk to my parents much lately since they're always gone, but right now some space from them is probably what's best. We decided not to tell Paisley and Declan about the situation. Declan probably wouldn't care too much considering his whole world basically consisted of family and Fawn. Paisley didn't need to know because we couldn't find any benefit in telling her.

Our departure from the house wasn't near as exciting as I was secretly hoping for. We literally just walked out the front door and we were on our way. Since Tate and Holden didn't seem to think this whole thing was a big deal, I wasn't too worried.

When Holden and I arrived at the meeting place Tate was already there. He was standing with his profile to us, facing the water. The moonlight turned his flaxen hair light silver and his skin a creamy white. "Hey," I called so Tate would know we were here. He turned around to face us and smiled. He smiled a lot. "Hey, whose that?" he asked, gesturing to Holden. "Holden Odair," Holden walked up to Tate and shook his hand. At least he was being polite. "Holden insisted on coming, although I'm really sure why," I tried to explain. "I need some excitement in my life," Holden shrugged. Tate nodded in understanding. "I've come up with an easy solution to our little problem," Tate rocked back on his heels. "What would that be?" I questioned. "Let's just not tell our parents." Tate said. Holden laughed a little at the simplicity of his solution. "Why didn't I think of that," I said to myself more than the boys. "Because you overthink everything. I like his plan," Holden chimed in. "It shouldn't be that hard. I assume your parents are MIA all the time, too?" Tate said. "Yup," Holden and I said in unison. "You don't think this is a little weird?" I asked. "Nah, as long as we don't make the same mistakes our parents made everything should be fine," Tate assured.

"Tate, I promise not to blow up your sister," I said with a straight face. That got a pretty good laugh out of Holden and Tate. "Aspen, I promise I won't try to kill you," Tate proclaimed. "Guys, I promise… Actually I don't promise anything," Holden added. We all laughed at that one. "See nothing to worry about. What our parents don't know won't hurt them," Tate said, throwing a muscular arm around my shoulder. "Looks like this trip could be some fun after all, ya know if you stop being so uptight," Holden said, throwing his muscular arm around my other shoulder so I was sandwiched between the two. "Alright, starting now I promise I'll be my normal fun carefree self," I laughed. "Atta girl," They said together. For the first time since we got here I actually felt optimistic.


	10. Chp 9: Tell Me a Lie

For Everything a Reason

Chapter 9: Tell Me a Lie

Holden and I were walking back to the house after parting ways with Tate. I was caught up in my own daydreams when I noticed where we were. We were passing by the cabin where I first met Tate. It was weird to think I had only met him a couple days earlier. I abruptly stopped walking. _I had only met him a couple days earlier_. I had been acting on pure impulse and adrenaline up until now. It never occured to me that Tate was only a step above being a stranger. I agreed to meet someone I barely knew in the woods at two in the morning. Reality began creeping into my brain as everything started to sink in. Realization of what was happening slapped me right in the face. It was as if my brain had just turned back on.

I hear Holden laughing. It's a distant sound even though he's right next to me. "What are you laughing at?" I ask, questioning his sanity. "Your face," he giggles. "What's wrong with my face?" I glare at him. "You look horrified, like someone had just stolen your cookie," he continues to laugh. A small smile forms on my lips. "Food is no joking matter, especially not cookies," I laugh a little. "I'm not joking, that's the exact face I picture you making if someone were to steal a cookie from you." "Do you picture that often?" I ask, arching an eyebrow. "Only when I'm sad and need a good laugh," Holden admits. I roll my eyes at him.

"But seriously, what were you thinking about?" He asks, suddenly serious. "Oh ya know, just wondering why the hell I thought it would be a good idea to sneak out of the house and meet up with someone I barely know. Because that's not sketchy at all," I pause for a moment in consideration, "Why didn't you stop me?". A cool breeze sweeps through, blowing strands of hair into my mouth. I swat away the hair in agitation. "Because even though you weren't thinking clearly I still trust your judgement," he states. "Maybe you shouldn't," I laugh. " I don't know Tate well enough to form an accurate opinion, but he seems fine to me," Holden assures. " I haven't gotten any threatening vibes from him thus far," I say, looking up at Holden. It appears the wind has blown his short dark brown tresses into his sea green eyes. "You're fearless aren't you?" Holden looks down at me. "I guess you could say that," I nod. "You have to be pretty fearless, or stupid, to meet up with someone who is essentially a stranger, in the woods, under the cover of night fall. He could've been a pyschopath! Or a serial killer! Or both!" Holden says, dramatically throwing his hands in the air. "Like I said, I didn't get any threatening vibes. And you're the one who said I had good judgement," I remind him. He sighs, "This is true." Nothing is said for the remander of the walk.

We approach the door to our 'home' when I begin to worry that our parents might have noticed our absence. Holden slides his hand around the door knob and cautiously twists it open. We peer into the entrance carefully and see nothing but darkness. We both sigh in relief. If our parents were awake the lights would most definitely be on. We lightly step into the house as I soundlessly close the door behind us. We skillfully maneuver through the house without bumping into anything. I just get to the stairs when I realize Holden is no longer beside me, but instead heading towards the kitchen. "Holden!" I hiss, "What are you doing?" "I'm hungry!" He hisses back in a hushed tone. I sigh in annoyance and follow him into the kitchen.

He flicks a switch with a slender finger and the room is instantly illuminated. I reflexively shut my eyes knowing if I don't i'll go momentarily blind. After a few seconds I slowly open my eyes and adjust to the brightness. Holden has already gotten to work on a BLT sandwhich. I walk over the the island and plop down onto the bar stool, putting my head in my hands. "What are you guys doing?" A voice calls from behind us. "GAH!" Holden shouts in surprise as he drops the knife he was using to spread mayonnaise all over his sandwhich. "Jesus Christ!" I gasp, throwing a hand to my chest. I could feel it rise and fall rapidly from being startled. Paisley is standing by the glass table patiently waiting for us to answer her. Her short hair is sticking up in random directions. "Nice bed head," Holden notes as he bends down to pick up the knife. "Haha," she rolls her large brown eyes. "Did you guys go somewhere?" she asks as she notices our appearence.

"I thought you weren't talking to me," I raise an eyebrow at her whilst popping a blueberry in my mouth. Someone left a bowl of blueberries on the island and I wasn't one to pass up good fruit. Paisley widened her eyes and her mouth formed into a slight O like she had forgotten that she was less than thrilled with me. Holden's eyes darted between us while he was shoving the sandwhich in his mouth. "You went somewhere," Paisley says, ignoring my previous comment. "No we didn't," I say casually. "Yes you did, don't lie to me," Paisley says. I can tell she's getting angry. "We didn't go anywhere," I say slowly, narrowing my eyes. "I don't believe you," Paisley says, clenching her jaw. "Sucks for you," I say, throwing another blueberry into my mouth. "You shouldn't be out this late," she points out. "Thanks for the concern mom, good thing we weren't out," Holden says after swallowing his last bite. Paisley bites her lip and shakes her head before she trudges back to bed in defeat. "Ugh," I groan before lowering my head. "We should probably go to bed, "Holden suggests, pointing at the clock above the oven. It reads 4:15 a.m. . I nod in agreement and drag myself towards the stairs.

I lazily shrug off my clothes and step into a pair of cotton boy shorts and a white tank top. Now that I've come down from my adrenaline rush I can feel how tired I am. It's the kind of tired that goes straight to your core and buries itself deep into your bones. Even my hair feels exhausted, and that doesn't even make sense. I crawl eagerly into bed, wrapping the blankets tightly around me. I rub my cheek against the soft satin, letting out a content sigh. I kind of actually feel bad for lieing to Paisley, but that's a problem for tomorrow because I can already feel myself falling into the calm nothingness that is sleep.

**A/N: I know I'm a bad person for going on such a lengthy hiatus. I am so so sorry! But I'm back now and that's all that matters :) Hope you lovely people enjoyed this chapter, more interesting chapters soon to come!**


	11. Chp 10: Everything's on Fire

For Everything a Reason

Chapter 10: Everything's on Fire

_ I'm at the beach with Holden. He's throwing rocks into the waves right before they sweep over the cold sand; giving the tiny grains a clean slate. I'm sitting on a blanket sketching the sight before me. The sun is setting and the sky is a brilliant dark pink with layers of vivid oranges and yellows. The hair at the nape of Holden's neck is starting to curl up from the sea water. His eyes are sparkling with the amusement of a five-year-old. I can taste the serenity in the air. I close my eyes and lean my head back to breathe it all in. I reach my hand out to feel the cool sand. Just as the it begins to fall through my fingers I let out a high pitch shriek in surprise. The sand is burning hot. _

_ "AHHHHH!" Holden yelps as he jumps about like a hyperactive child. The blanket underneath me bursts into a bright inferno. I quickly jump off only to have my feet greated by scorching sand. "Get in the water!" Holden yells as the sand begins to sprout flames. I retreat to the glistening water as the flames lick at my naked feet. I splash ungracefully into the water and grab onto Holden for support. "What is this shit?!" Holden demands irritably. "I... I don't understand," I mutter in disbelief. Before I even realize what's happening the water around us begins to bubble. "Oh god," I screech. The fire on the beach has managed to ignite an equally frightening set of flames on the water. "How is this even possible?!" Holden yells, clawing into the water with frustration . "It's not!" I respond. I try to swim further out but it's futile. Within seconds the flames have themselves wrapped around us. I'm on fire. I'm in the middle of the ocean and I'm on fire. I open my mouth to scream but then there's a bright flash and-_

My eyes shoot open and I sharply inhale, desperate for clean air. I'm back in my room with Paisley shacking my shoulders. "Jesus you're hard to wake up," she says before dropping my shoulders. I fall back into a heap of pillows, blinking in disorientation. I was very surpised to find Paisley sitting in front of me. I kind of figured she hated my guts after the past few days, but here she was calmly perched on the side of my bed. "I can't go two days without someone waking me up, can I?" I say, rubbing my tired eyes. "You looked like you were having a nightmare. So you know what? You're welcome," she says, scowling at me. "You're right. Thanks," I say sincerely. "Believe it or not I actually woke you up for a reason. Not just to piss you off," she nibbles on her bottom lip nervously.

"What's going on?"

"Come on," she beckons for me to follow her.

"On a scale of chipping a nail tothe Cuban Missile Crisis how bad is it?"

"The Cuban Missle what?"

"Back in 1962-"

"Oh my god we don't have time for one of your ancient history lessons!" Paisley grabs my arms and hauls me out of bed with a force I didn't know she was capable of.

She drags me through the halls and down the stairs into the living room. "Where is everyone?" I ask, noticing the emptiness. "The rents left early this morning with another vague explantion and Holden and Declan went toexplore the woods," Paisley says blandly. "Oh," My eyes dart to the well sized TV. A picture of a modest building built completely out of wooden planks is frozen on the screen. "That's the thrift store we were at the other day," I point out, not understanding the big deal. "Watch," she instructs as she presses play. I watch the screen a attentively.

My hand flys to my mouth with a gasp at the scene plays out before me. I see images of an untamable fire burning the store down to a charred skeleton of what it used to be. People are watching in horror as a few brave citizens try to diminish the flames with buckets of water. "What happened?" I turn to Paisley whose expression of disgust mirrors my own. "They don't know for sure, but they think someone torched it on purpose," Paisley explains with an edge to her voice that makes my spine go rigid. "You have a suspicion, " I state. "I'm surprised you don't," her eyes widen slightly. Whoa talk about role reversal. I take a moment to review the past few days and run through everyone we'd come in contact with. Paisley is starring at me anxiously, twirling an amber ring around her fingure. The color of the ring reminds me of something. _Oh!_

"Those people we saw at the thrift store. The Capitol kids," I perk up now that my brain seems to be functiong properly. "There ya go. I was worried you were starting to lose it," She smiles crookedly at me. "Yeah me, too," I bite my pillowy bottom lip. "It makes sense because-" "I'm so sorry," I blurt out, overcome with an intense pang of guilt. "What?" Paisley says, taken aback, " Is this real life?" "I don't give you enough credit. I shouldn't be treating you the way I have been lately. I was wrong. It's not you're fault I've been a horrid bitch. I shouldn't have lashed out at you the way that I did and I'm sorry," I apologize. Paisley looks at me with her mouth gaping open in shock. I rarely apologize. Paisley composes herself and walks over to me. "I'll forgive you if you tell me where and what you and Holden were doing last night. I know you lied to me," she crosses her arms infront of her chest. I take in a deep breath and explain everything to her. From the very beginning.

By the end of the story she's bouncing up and down with giddiness. "I don't understand what you're so excited about," I tilt my head to the side. My hair brushses softly against the bare skin. "What's not to be excited about?! This trip might actually be fun! Sneaking around, come on that's gotta be a total thrill! Plus Tate is hot, and hot guys usually have hot friends," Paisley's head is bobbing up and down. I smile and laugh at my friend. Just like that things are back to normal with us. That's the good thing about true friends. No matter how pissed off you get at them or they get at you, at the end of the day whatever you fought about is cancelled out by all the good times you had together and how much you love them.

"We should go tell Tate about your theory," I insist. "You sure you want me to come? "Paisley teases. "Yeah definitely. As long as you don't rip his clothes off right then and there," I say, heading for the door. "No promises!" Paisley calls from behind me as she jogs to catch up.

We're standing infront of the bakery contemplating how to go about this. "Should we both go in?" Paisley whispers to me. "No, definitely not," I shake my head. "Me?" she tries again. I consider it for a moment. "No, you look too much like your mom," I sigh. "Your mannerisms might tip them off, too much like your dad," she lets out a irritated breath. "Well, we need to come up with something soon because we probably look sketchy as hell just standing here!" I whisper back. "Hey look," Paisley points to the back door. My eyes scan the vacinity. A tall muscular blonde boy has a trash bag thrown over each of his shoulders and he's heading for the dumpster behind the bakery. "Tate!" I yell as I run after him. So much for being calm and reserved. Paisley starts in the same direction once she recovers from the initial shock caused by my outburst.

Tate drops the trash and turns to face us. He smiles once he realizes who we are and his grey eyes light up. "Hey guys, where's the fire?" He jokes. "About two blocks from here," I say, reminding him. His eyes go wide. "Shit, I didn't think about what I was saying," he says regretfully. "That's actually why we're here," Paisley chimes in. "To discuss my lack of a mental filter?" Tate looks genuinly surprised. "No, to discuss the fire," I correct him. "Oh right," he blushes a light pink. The only boy I had ever seen blush was my brother since it was literally impossible to embarass Holden. I quickly decide that it is cute when boys blushs. Tate especially. Paisley nudges me to break my trance. "So about the fire?" Tate smirks. I scowl. "We think we the capital kids did it," Paisley enlightens him. He purses his lips as he thinks about what he's just been told. Amidst his thoughts a warm breeze sweeps his light blonde hair off of his forehead to reveal a tiny scar right above his left eyebrow. I wonder where it came from.

"You're probably right," he concludes.

"What does it mean?" Paisley asks nervously.

"They're probably trying to make a statement," I offer.

"I"m surprised it's taken them this long to act out. You see the way they look at people. It's murderous," The corner of Tate's mouth pull down.

"Do you think it has to do with the anniversary?" I ask.

Tate and Paisley exchange a glance. I fidget with loops on my jeans while I wait for someone to say something. "I'd bet on it," Tate confirms. "So they're not done yet?" Paisley's face drops with my stomach. "Not even close," he says ruefully. "We need to tell Holden," I say instinctively. Holden was my safe haven. He usually knew how to handle a situation. He had to be calm in a crisis from an early age considering he was the man of the house. "I'm coming with you," Tate says, heaving the trash bags into the dumpster. "Uhhh..." Paisley looks at me. It wouldn't be fair to tell him he couldn't come since we were the runs who came running to him. "Okay," I say skeptically. With that we start towards the house.

"Are they home?" Paisley asks from behind me. "Maybe," I reply. We're standing behind the bushes across from the house looking suspicious yet again. "It's a nice house. Very grand and well constructed," Tate observes. "Are you seriously admiring architecture right now?" I give him a side glance. "Just look at it! Like really look at it," he persists. I sigh and focus on the house before us. The house is a large mansion with sandy colored bricks. Two large windows are placed on the the left and right of the rounded doorway. A long cobblestone pathway leeds up to the mahoganny door. The shrubbery lining the path is in perfect condition. Tate is right, the house is very aesthetically pleasing. "Yeah, it's beautiful," I agree. " I'll go inside to see if Holden's back yet, you guys stay here," I instruct.

I slowly open the door and peer around it without stepping foot in the house. "Holden?" I call out. There's no response at first, but then I hear light footsteps. Holden walks in to the foyer wearing nothing but a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. "For christs sake Holden, put some clothes on," I step out from behind the door. "You have no idea how lucky you are to behold such a glorious sight," he says flattening his palm against his well defined abdomen. His entire body is decorated with tiny water droplets that sparkle like crystals in the light. A few droplets fall from the tips of his dark brown hair down his sharp cheek bones and across his parted pink lips. "Many a women would pay to be this up close and personal," he added arrogantly. "Maybe you should consider becoming a stripper for a future career then" I roll my icy eyes at him.

"I prefer the term exotic dancer," he flicks his tongue against his top lip to catch a drop of water. "We need to talk to you," I tell him. "We?" he raises an eyebrow causing a few drops to fall onto his long lashes. "Paisley, Tate, and I. Is anybody else home?" I ask, looking around. "Declan, but he's upstairs on the phone with Fawn so World War III could be going on right outside our front door and he'd have no idea," Holden rolls his seagreen orbs. "Great I'll tell them to come in. Can you please put some clothes on? I find it unnerving that I have to ask again," I turn my back to him and walk out the door before I hear his response or more likely his objection.

I come back into the house with Paisley and Tate in tow. I'm delighted to find that Holden is now dressed in ripped jeans and a light blue tshirt. "It's so weird to hear someone telling me to put on clothes instead of take them off, I'm more accustomed to the latter," Holden announces condescendingly. "He's kidding right?" Tate asks. "I wish he was," Paisleys replies. "So what's going on?" Holden asks curiously. Tate and Paisley look at me expectantly. "Lets move this to the kitchen," I suggest. "Splendid. That's my favorite room. Apart from the bedroom of course ," Holden smirks. Paisley gawks at that and Tate looks uncomfortable. I grunt in annoyance and push Holden, quite forcefully, towards the kitchen.

I give him a recap of what happened over the last few hours. All the amusement from earlier had drained from his face as I finish. "We should go the authorities," Holden suggests. "There isn't any evidence," Tate says, disappointment clear on his chisled face. "So we just wait until something else happens?" Holden asks. "That's all we can do," I say. "Tate, do you have any idea-" Paisley starts to say. A distant, but not distant enough sound catches my attention. "Shit," I whisper shout. "What?" Tate asks. "Oh fuck," Holden's face looks panicked. I can hear the footsteps getting louder. Each step on the wooden floor is an explosion to my sensitive ears. "Our parents are home," Paisley gasps quietly. I can practically feelTate's blood turn to ice as I see the shadow of my dad's tall figure.

**A/N: So sorry it has taken me so long to get these chapters out lately. I've had some serious writers block but hopefully I'm getting over it! I hope you guys liked this chapter:) I tried to make it longer than usual since It took me forever to post. Reviews are always great motivation for me to post the next chapter sooner ;)**


	12. Chp 11: The World Turns

For Everything a Reason

Chapter 11: The World Turns

I whip my head around in desperate search of an escape route. There's the sliding door in the living room, but that would put Tate directly in their line of vision. "Where is everyone?" I hear Annie ask. "Declan? Aspen?" My mom calls out. I look at Holden, my eyes wide with panic. He points to the window above the sink and raises his eyebrows. I nod in agreement and grab Tate's bicep, dragging him to the sink. Had we have been in any other circumstance, I would've noticed how toned and defined his bicep was. How his tan skin stretched over the lean muscles, but this what not the time nor place for such ogling. "Holden, go distract them," I instruct in a low whisper. He does a quick nod and darts to the living room.

Tate quietly hops onto the counter and slides the window open. "Holden, there you are," Annie sighs with relief. "Where are my children?" My mom asks. "How was the meeting?" Holden changes the subject. "Did we tell you it was a meeting?" I hear my dad's low voice inquire. "No, but I assumed it know since you never tell us anything anymore," Holden shoots back. That wasn't entirely fair of him since we were hiding things, too, but I couldn't worry about that at the moment because our biggest secret had one leg on the counter and the other leg outside the house so he was straddling the windowsill. "What are you waiting for?" I whisper. "Check the front window to the left of the front door after dinner," Tate instructs. "What?!" I hiss. "Just do it," he snaps. I lean forward and put my hands on his side. My fingertips grip the soft cotton of his gray t-shirt. I can feel heat radiating off of him through the fabric. "Where are you going?" Holden yells out to someone, his voice going up two octaves. I tighten my grip and lunge forward, pushing Tate out the window. His mouth parts in surprise but no sound comes out. There's a quite thud outside when my dad enters the kitchen, Holden right on his trail.

I casually lean my elbow on the edge of the sink and rest my head on my hand. "Hey dad," I smile enthusiastically. "What are you doing?" he asks skeptically. "Oh ya know, just hanging out," I reply innocently. "Where's your brother?" my mom asks. "Right here," Declan announces, waltzing into the room. "Good you're all here," my mom states as she walks in the kitchen with Annie and Johanna right behind her. "What's going on?" Paisley asks worriedly. "Nothing bad," Johanna assures. I examine everyone's' faces, looking for a sign of nervousness. Their eyes reveal nothing and their jaws are relaxed. Even Annie, who is a serial fidgeter, stands calmly. "We know we haven't been around much lately, so we thought it would be nice if we had a family dinner tonight," my dad announces excitedly. "And we have some exciting news to tell you," my mom beams, her big blue eyes glowing. "Fantastic! I'm starving and some good news would be really great right about now," Holden admits. "Alright, get to work then!" I laugh, dancing out of the kitchen. Holden, Paisley, and Declan run out after me.

I'm sitting on the bench next to my window admiring the view before me. The sun is beginning to set therefore casting a pinkish orange glow into my room. I hug my knees to my chest and let out a content sigh as a cool breeze softly brushes my hair against my face. In this moment I am completely relaxed. There are two robins chasing each other excitedly and nipping at one another's feathers. It almost seems flirtatious. "What are you doing?" someone questions from behind me. I gasp throwing a hand to my chest and spinning around. Declan is standing there with a confused expression of his face. "Jesus Christ, Declan, you shouldn't sneak up on people like that," I reprimand. "Yeah, yeah," he brushes it away like it was no big deal," Have you seen Holden? He's not in his room." "No, but I can't imagine he-" I get cut off. "Did someone say my name?" Holden appears in my doorway like a genie; a genie with green eyes and a narcissistic attitude. "Yeah, I need to talk to you about something, "Declan fidgets with his hands. "About what?" I interrupt. Declan's cheeks begin to blossom a red color and he turns away from me as he mumbles some unintelligible. "What was that?" my mouth turns up into a devilish grin. "Just stuff okay?!" Declan stomps out of my room, taking Holden with him. Holden manages to give me a shrug before he disappears down the hallway. I quickly decide that I'm better off not knowing what it is Declan wants to talk about. I shake my head and turn my attention back to the window while I wait for dinner to be ready.

About an hour later Paisley shows up in my room with the announcement that dinner is ready. We're not even halfway down the stairs and I can smell the beautiful aroma of a good home cooked meal. "Mmm, steak," I mumble to myself as we approach the table. I settle into a chair next to Holden while Paisley takes the one on my other side. "Eat up everyone," my mom says as she shoves various plates of food at us. We devour the feast in front of us occasionally mumbling something that sounds like "this is so good". "Did you hear about the fire?" Declan asks between bites. "Yes, and they're looking into it so it's nothing you need to be concerned with," my dad looks directly at me, his gray eyes piercing. I nod mechanically. "So what about the good news?" Paisley asks. "Right, There's going to be a festival in honor of the anniversary," my mom announces in excitement. "It'll be a lot of fun! We haven't sorted out all the details yet, but who doesn't love a good festival?" Johanna adds. Annie bobs her head up and down in support. In theory it sounds like a good idea, but it's also the perfect opportunity for certain people to make a statement. "Sounds like fun," Holden says, elbowing me in the ribs. "Yeah, totally," I put on the fakest smile I can manage. "I love festivals," Paisley adds enthusiastically. "I'd definitely go," Declan says with a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "Great! We'll tell you more when we find out," my dad says happily. I spend the rest of dinner engaging in idle chit chat and exchanging knowing glances with Holden and Paisley.

"Thanks for dinner, it was delicious," I say to my mom as I begin to clear the table. "No problem sweetheart," she pats my head like when I was little. "Since we cooked I think it's only fair that you guys do the dishes," my dad states. "Yeah sure thing," Declan agrees. The rest of us nod cooperatively. "Excellent," Annie says, giving Holden a kiss on the cheek. The adults leave the room to let us get to work. I pile the dishes onto my arm like a waitress and head over to the sink. Holden joins me at the sink with a pile of silverware. "What do you think about the festival?" he whispers quietly into my ear. "I'm not sure. It could be totally fine, but I'm skeptical," I admit in a hushed tone. "What are you guys talking about?" Declan asks, sounding alarmed. "Nothing," I look at him suspiciously. He cheeks are turning that red color again.  
>"I'm going to my room. You guys can manage the rest without me," he quickly scuttles out of the kitchen. "What's his problem?" Paisley asks from over by the fridge. "He probably thought I was telling you about our little conversation earlier," Holden snickers. "What conversation?" I ask Holden. "Can't tell ya. Purely confidential. Nothing you need to worry about," he smirks. "You guys are weird," I mumble, turning my attention back to the dirty dishes. "Do you think Tate knows about the festival?" Paisley asks openly. "I think so," Holden replies. "Oh! That reminds me!" I drop a fork in the sink and run to the front window.<p>

When I get there nothing looks different. "What's going on?" Holden asks from behind me. "Tate said to check the window after dinner," I explain. I walk closer to the window and slightly bend forward. I press my lips tightly together and then purse them. A steady stream of air escapes my lips as I lightly blow out. A thin sheet of fog covers the plexiglass and scribbled letters start to appear. Paisley and Holden lean over my shoulders. "1:30 thrift store," Paisley reads aloud. "That's pretty clever of him actually," Holden admires. "What time is it?" I ask without turning around. Paisley runs back to the kitchen and yells, "9:30!" "Well, I'll go take a nap then," Holden says, walking up the stairs. "Me, too," Paisley sayd, following Holden.

I find myself sitting in front of the window again. This time I have a pencil and paper pad balancing on my knees. I drag the led across the paper, connecting two lines. I had been drawing miscellaneous patterns for the last two hours. I tried sleeping at first, but I was wired. I was left alone with my thoughts. These secret meetings were exciting to say the least, but I wondered how long they would last. Our parents would find out eventually. That brought another thought to mind. Had my dad and Katniss already seen each other? It would make sense that they were attending the same meetings. What if they confessed that they missed each other? That made me uneasy. "What are you doing?" Holden asks, his voice bringing me back to reality and saving me from my own mind. I realized I was blankly staring out the window into pitch black nothingness. "Just thinking. Is it time to leave?" I ask eagerly. "Yes ma'am," Holden usheres me out the door into the foyer where Paisley is waiting.

The scent of burnt wood and fabric was thick in the air. I could taste the ash with every intake of breathe. "Dear God," Paisley chokes. "Shhh," I caution. The sight before me was horrible. All that was left were mangled pieces of wood and mutilated metal bars. There was one wooden support beam standing out of the pile of debris. A lone survivor. Behind the beam I notice a lock of blonde hair. "Tate!" I whisper yell. "Hey guys," he greets us, flashing his signature smile. "This is so much worse than I thought it would be. They didn't just kill it, they beat the shit out of it," Holden frowns. "Kind of like when someone gets stabbed forty times as opposed to once," I add. "Isn't that considered a crime of passion?" Paisley asks curiously. "Maybe. The 21st century laws were way before our time so I'm not very familiar with them," Tate replies. "Is there anything left?" I ask apprehensively. "Not that I've noticed. Did you hear about the festival?" Tate asks. "Yeah. What do you think about it?" Holden answers. "I don't know yet. I guess it depends if something like happens again," Tate gestures to the mess around us.

They continue to talk but I disengage myself from the conversation. I walk over to the beam and place my left hand on, letting my fingers trail its surface. At first it's consistently smooth, but then I feel something rough. I trace my fingers across the lines. At first I think the lines are random, but then I realize there's a pattern to them. I squint my eyes and lean in closer to determine exactly what it is that I'm tracing. A sharp gasp escapes my lips and I stumble backward. Paisley, Tate, and Holden rush to my side. "What'd you find?" Tate asks worriedly. I soundlessly point to the beam before us. They all lean in and gasp in unison. "Oh my God".

**A/N: Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :) The more reviews the sooner I'll post the next chapter ;)**


	13. Chp 12: Where the Roses Never Fade

For Everything a Reason

Chapter 12: Where the Roses Never Fade

"This is bad," I say in a low voice. "No shit. Got any other profound observations, Aspen?" Holden mutters back. I shoot a glare in his direction. "Maybe it's not what it looks like," Tate bites down on his lower lip. "It's exactly what it looks like," I retort. Tate steps forward and drags his long fingers across the beam. He delicately outlines it petal by petal. "What's it mean?" Paisley inquires with a frown. "It's a rose Paisley," Holden says irritably. "I'm not inadequate! I asked what it means not what it is!" Paisley snaps. "It means we were right," I intervene. "They've left a mark, so it seems pretty safe to say that this is only the beginning," Tate shakes his head in aggravation.

We stand there in silence. Nothing anyone says can change what happened and what will most likely continue to happen. I look at Tate. He looks calm, but I can see a shadow of fear in his dark gray eyes. I have the urge to hug him and tell him everything will be alright. But I don't. It's not my place and I don't know that things are going to be okay, and if there's one thing I've learned it's that you shouldn't say things you don't mean. I settle with awkwardly patting him on the shoulder blade. I'm the inadequate one; at least when it comes to expressing concern, or any emotion other than anger.

The sharp sound of a branch snapping makes us all jerk our heads. "What was that?" Paisley whispers anxiously. Tate and Holden advance in the direction the sound came from. "I don't see anything," Holden concludes. "Me neither," Tate agrees. "We should head home," I suggest, while rocking back on my heels. "Yeah, I'll see you guys later," Tate turns to leave. "Tate!" I blurt out. He stops and looks at me. "Yeah?" he asks. It looks like his eyes had brightened, but it could just be the reflection of the moonlight. "Uhhh…I…umm…be careful," I say lamely. I shouldn't be allowed to speak. A half smile forms on his lips, "I will. You guys be careful, too." We nod.

The night is particularly cold. I can't tell if it's the breeze or the chill of being completely creeped out. The rose burned into the beam was unnerving. It did seem like a crime of passion, which meant this was far from over. I suddenly wish we would've stayed home. "Aspen, can I ask you something?" Paisley whispers in my ear. "Yeah sure," I whisper back. "Telling Tate to be careful wasn't what you actually wanted to say, was it?" Paisley nudges my shoulder. "No," I mumble, dropping my head down. I can hear her giggle softly.

We arrive at the house after what seems like the longest walk of my life. Holden grips the door knob and turns it. He furrows his brows and jerks it violently. "Did someone lock the door?" He asks. Paisley throws her palm to her face. "Whoops." "Paisley!" Holden and I whisper-yell in unison. "I'm sorry, it's a force of habit!" she defends. "How are we supposed to get in?! I'm not sleeping in the bushes!" I throw my hands up in exasperation. "Yeah, you might wake up with a rose carved into your forehead," Holden jokes. "That is not even remotely funny," I pout. "Come on," Holden starts walking.

We circle the house in search of a window left ajar. Fortunately for us, the kitchen window was left open. I must've forgotten to close it after pushing Tate out. "Alright, who's it gunna be?" Holden turns to me and Paisley. "I got this," I announce confidently. I thrust myself on to Holden's broad shoulders. He grabs onto my feet to keep me from falling off. I grab the window sill and get one leg into the house. Everything is going great, until Holden sneezes. The sneeze is so forceful that he loses his balance and sways to the left. "Holden!" I shriek as he lets go of my feet and I'm hanging halfway out the window. "What I would give to capture this moment through the art of photography or video," Holden chuckles. I'm well aware I look ridiculous.

"This is your fault!" I hiss.

"Sneezing is a bodily function that I have no control over," he insists, "Besides, I thought you 'had this'."

"You're a terrible person."

"It keeps me awake at night."

"We're all going to be kept awake tonight if we can't get into the house," Paisley whines.

I hook my left leg around the faucet for stability and grip the inside of the wall. I throw all my weight to the left and grab onto the window. I lose control and fall to the kitchen floor. My arms and legs are sprawled out in a very ungraceful manner. I pull myself up and trudge to the door to let Holden and Paisley in. "Way to take one for the team!" Holden beams. I mumble something that sounds like 'muck cough'. "You okay?" Paisley asks. "Yeah, just peachy," I roll my eyes. "Well, I'll see you lovely ladies in the morning," Holden says from the stairs. "I don't think so. Since I probably have a concussion from trying to get us into the house, you're carrying me to bed," I demand. "Fair enough," he doesn't protest. I hop onto Holden's back as he gives me a piggy back ride up the stairs. "If you sneeze I will kill you in your sleep," I threaten into his shoulder. I can feel the rumble of his laughter.

Holden manages to deliver me to my beloved bed without injuring me further. I curl up in the blankets and hug my pillow tightly. My muscles relax and my breath becomes shallow. Sleep takes me almost instantly.

I blink my eyes open slowly. I squint until the disorientation is gone. I didn't dream last night. That's weird. I stretch out like a cat and yawn. I feel a dull pain in my left hip bone. I move the fabric of my pants out of the way and notice a dark purple bruise blossoming on my skin. Memories of me crash landing into the kitchen last night come rushing back. Yesterday was not my day.

Somehow I manage to drag myself out of bed and down the stairs into the living room. Declan is sitting in front of the TV engrossed in some stupid show. I clear my throat and he tears his attention from the digital screen of magic. "Good you're up. Mom wants us to stop by the flower shop in town to pick up some calla lilies," Declan explains. "Why does mom want calla lilies?" I ask. "No idea. Let's go, I don't wanna be too long," Declan starts towards the door. "Why? Are you expecting a call from Fawn?" I smirk. He doesn't say anything. I follow him out the door. "You are so whipped." I laugh as I catch up to him. The sun is shining so bright I can feel my retinas burning. I lift my hands to protect my eyes. "At least I have a girlfriend," he tries to rub in. "I'm not jealous that you have a girlfriend, I like boys," I assure. Declan gives me a side-glance. "You're romantically challenged."

"Excuse you?!" I widen my eyes.

"I'm not trying to be an asshole, but you're shit at showing affection."

"Thanks so much."

"You're just so cold on the outside."

"My body temperature is perfectly normal thank you."

"You know what I mean. It wouldn't kill you to show some kind of emotion. It's like you don't feel anything."

"You're only 15, what do you know?"

"A hell of a lot more than you do. Do you love Holden and Paisley?"

"Yeah they're like family."

"Maybe you should tell them that sometime."

I stop talking because Declan is becoming dangerously close to being smarter than me.

I feel like I'm drowning in flowers. They're everywhere, different kinds in different colors. This is overwhelming. The variety of followers was so vast that Declan and I split up. So far I had encountered tiger lilies, tulips, carnations, sunflowers, and some frightening looking wild flowers, but no calla lilies. "Ugh," I grunt in frustration. "Having some trouble?" a low voice inquires from behind me.

I turn around and almost go into cardiac arrest. The boy standing before me is tall and muscular with short black hair, tan skin, and bright amber eyes. He watches me like a predator studies its prey. "No, I'm fine," I choke out in a hoarse voice. "You sure? You look nervous," he steps closer. I nearly jump out of my skin. "Yeah, I'm sure," this time my voice doesn't falter. He slightly tilts his head and smirks. "What flower are you looking for?" he questions. "Calla Lilies," I reply. "A beautiful flower, but I myself prefer _roses," _he turns around and plucks a flower from a vase full of water. "For you," he says, handing me the flower. My breath catches in my throat. "I'll see you around," he reassures as he walks away with a sly smile stretching his lips. My head is spinning as I look down at the white rose resting in my hand.

**A/N: Sorry It took so long to update, the amount of papers I have to write for school is ridiculous. I hope you enjoyed this long over due chapter :) Please review! **

**(I reread what I've written as a whole and realized that I made some factual errors because I'm an idiot. I meant to make it the 20th anniversary instead of 25th so Holden would be 19. I have no idea why I put 25th. I clearly was not thinking. Just know that Holden is indeed 19. That is all :). )**


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